


Like a Drug to Me

by wolflover441



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:41:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23668537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolflover441/pseuds/wolflover441
Summary: Loss has dramatically impacted Alex's life and in order to save her from herself, her family sends her to Forks to heal. Will Paul help her heal and find his own peace? Or will he simply be her next unhealthy addiction? Paul/OC with other OC side characters
Relationships: Paul Lahote/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter One

Everything looked hazy and her body felt like it was floating above the ground. She had to fight to clear her eyes and force them to focus on seeing clearly. Fumbling with her purse she pulled out a thin expired ID. She had needed the card to get into the bars and clubs before she had turned twenty-one, but now it served a different purpose. Willing her eyes to continue to focus she used the card to neatly scrape the powder on the sink into a line. Putting one finger over her nose, she snorted the powder and then shook her head lightly to clear the uncomfortable feeling that always comes along with doing cocaine. The renewal of her high was near immediate and she stumbled out of the small club bathroom.

She leaned against the neon paint splattered hallway and scanned the club to remember where she had been seated. The place was crowded with hundreds of bodies dancing against one another and others sitting in booths and tables scattered about. She spotted her table just as the man who had been chatting her up for the past hour dropped something in her drink. She huffed in annoyance before pushing herself off the wall and starting back in that direction.

“Alex,” a voice raised itself above the music before gripping her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to see the bartender looking at her table.

“Before you go back-“ he started.

“I saw it,” she answered nonchalantly before shrugging his hand off and continuing towards Brian. Or maybe it was Brent? She couldn’t be sure, but it certainly didn’t matter now. She plastered an inebriated smile onto her face and walked as straight as she could to her date of the night. She let herself fall easily into his lap, and he grinned at her.

“Hey there, darling. Welcome back,” he drawled, running his hand up her thigh. She smiled back at him before snatching the beer bottle out of his other hand and taking a long swig out of it.

“I’ll be taking this considering you ruined mine,” she smiled cheekily. She stood with her heel digging purposefully into his foot as she moved away from him.

“I did come for the drugs, but I prefer to pick my own, thanks,” she called over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught one of the bouncers roughly escorting him out as she made her way back to the bar. She hopped up onto one of the bar stools and smiled as the room spun around her. She’d lost the man she was planning on going home with and it was too late to find someone else before the club closed. She couldn’t really bring herself to care. As she’d said earlier, she only came for the drugs and her high was keeping her perfectly happy.

She waived over the bar tender after finishing off the last of the beer she’d taken. He came over and began making her a new drink. A jack and coke was her go to drink here, and she watched him pour it. She frowned at him when he barely tipped the bottle of jack into the glass.

“Well that was a wimpy pour,” she pouted as he slid the drink to her.

“You’re lucky I’m serving you at all. Obviously, your judgement is lacking tonight,” he said motioning to the table where her roofied drink still sat. She rolled her eyes, before deciding she probably needed to thank him for trying to warn her.

“Thanks for keeping an eye out, though I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” She sipped her drink and watched his normally cocky expression turn into something that resembled guilt.

“I’m not so sure you’re going to be thanking me for long, Alex,” he said gesturing behind me. She turned, drink in hand, and immediately felt her buzz fade slightly at the sight of her overprotective cousin. She whipped around to glare at the bar tender, but he was already halfway down to bar winking at a flirty blond as he refilled her drink.

“Alexandria” a deep and annoyed voice called from behind her. She took the moment to down the rest of her drink before spinning around in the stool to face him.

“Hey Danny boy, fancy seeing you here,” she drawled with a bright smile.

“Cut the shit. What are you doing here?” he replied gruffly. She took a second to look him over. His arms were crossed over a tight t-shirt and he was in sweats. His long hair was thrown up in a messy bun. He obviously wasn’t dressed for clubbing and had probably recently climbed out of bed. She fought the urge to scowl.

“What? A girl can’t come out to the club for a birthday drink?” she said trying her best to sound innocent.

“Your birthday was two weeks ago. Don’t even try it. And we both know you’ve been doing more than drinking. Your nose is bleeding,” he frowned disapprovingly at her. She wiped her nose in surprise. It was bleeding slightly and she grimaced. That would definitely make it hard to deny her drug use.

“What are you even doing here?” she said angrily grabbing a napkin for her nose.

“Chris called me to come take you home” he said gesturing to the bartender. Ah, so Chris was his name. She had forgotten.

“Chris should have called me a cab. There’s no reason for you to be here. I can take care of myself, Daniel.”

“Oh really? Because apparently the last time he sent you home in a cab, you fucked the driver in the back seat and were too doped up to tell him how to get you home.” She cringed at the memory. She had been experimenting with ecstasy and was less than picky about who she slept with. It was a mistake she wasn’t planning on making again.

“That’s none of your business! And it’s not Chris’s place to go blabbing to you about my life!” She snapped at him.

“Chris is my friend, and if you weren’t such an irresponsible mess then he wouldn’t have to tell me about your exploits. In case you’ve forgotten, I made a promise to take care of you and I intend to keep it.” They glared at each other for what seemed like an hour, neither of them saying anything, before he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her seat.

“I’m taking you home,” he said dragging her towards the exit.

“It’s not even last call!” She struggled against him, but his grip didn’t loosen.

“It’s last call for you. You’re done.”

He pulled her out into the cold night air and goosebumps erupted all over her body. Plenty of people were still bar hopping and some lone men leered at her before being stared down by Daniel. At 6’2 with the body of a college football player, Daniel had no trouble scaring people off. He dragged her to his truck and helped her into the passenger seat. She glared at him, but the effect was ruined slightly by her chattering teeth. He turned the truck on and hit the button for heat.

“You know you wouldn’t be so cold if you’d wear real clothes when you go out.”

“Just because you wouldn’t wear them doesn’t mean they aren’t real clothes,” she snapped back. The rest of the ride was silent, and as they rolled up to her house she wanted nothing more than to escape his judgmental presence. She went to grab the car handle as soon as he parked.

“Alex,” he said before she could leave, “this isn’t healthy. At some point, you need to get it together. It’s been four months. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“Don’t start with me. I’m fine. I’m dealing. Let me live my life!” She hopped out and slammed the door behind her. The combination of her gravel driveway, her heels, and her drunkenness caused her to stumble around and barely catch herself before falling.

“Jesus Christ,” he huffed under his breath, before leaving the car to help her to the house.

“I don’t need help” she growled at him, continuing to stumble. He rolled his eyes before picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder.

“This is ridiculous! Put me down!” she shrieked.

“Shut up,” he said exasperated as he jogged up to the front door.

“Where’s your key?”

“Its unlocked” She heard him heave another sigh as he opened the door.

“You can’t just leave the door unlocked! It’s like you’re asking to be robbed, Alexandria!” But his words left him as he walked in and flicked on the lights. Alex winced as she remembered the state of disarray she’d left the house in. She and her best friend Becca had been throwing parties almost nonstop at the house, and Alex was rarely sober enough to clean up after them. She felt the world shift as he set her down on a cleaner part of the couch.

“What the fuck have you done to the house?” he practically yelled at her.

“I just haven’t cleaned up yet. We had a party,” she tried. She watched him scan her childhood home with disgust. Curtains were torn, there were cans and cups everywhere, furniture was in the wrong spot and there were several puke stains on the carpet. Random items were broken and picture frames were cracked. It looked like a drunken tornado had come through.

“The place is a wreck!” he said filled with anger, before sighing deeply and shaking his head. His angered expression turned forlorn.

“You think this is what they wanted, Alex? Kevin and Charlotte would be devastated if they could see the state of you. Not only are you being self-destructive but you’re destroying their home. Your home.”

“Don’t you dare do the dead parent’s disappointment shit with me. You have no right.” She started to shake, but not from the cold this time.

“I have every right! They trusted my family to look after you. When they died your well-being became our business. Don’t tell me about what right I have to talk about them. They were my family too,” he said, voice thick with mixed emotions. He sat across from her and put his head in his hands.

“I’m an adult. I don’t need my Godparents or their kid looking after me,” She said with less conviction than she wanted. The night’s activities were catching up with her and she was suddenly so tired.

“I’m not a kid anymore. I’m older than you, and in order for you to be treated like an adult you have to act like one. Right now, you obviously can’t take care of yourself, and you refuse to get help from anyone. I can’t watch it anymore.” He stood, fists clenching and then unclenching at his sides.

“I’ll be back tomorrow, and we’re going to talk about this. Lock the door after me.”

And then he was gone. She could hear his truck start and gradually pull away. She slumped over on the couch and hugged a pillow to her chest. Thoughts of her parents flooded her mind and tears slipped down her cheeks. She’d never felt more out of control. As much as she didn’t want to listen to Daniel, deep down she knew he was right. She couldn’t keep living like this, but at this point she didn’t know how to live any other way. She let sleep claim her without ever bothering to leave the couch


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Morning came quicker than she had expected or wanted. She groaned and covered her face from the blinding sunlight coming through the living room windows. The pounding in her head seemed louder than normal, and she squeezed her eyes tighter to try to make it stop. It took her a moment before she realized that the pounding was coming not from her head but from the front door.

“Come in. It’s open,” she called out of reflex, cringing a bit at the loudness of her own voice. She shuffled into a sitting position and stretched, her body aching from the night on the couch. Daniel came through the door, scowl already formed on his face.

“I told you to lock the door,” he said looking her over.

“Good morning, Alex. How are you doing today? How’s that hangover?” she responded sarcastically.

“It’s the middle of the afternoon,” he sighed as he looked at her, a mix of disappointment and hurt etched into his features.

“I had a late night as I’m sure you remember.” She rubbed her eyes and tried to shake off the urge to ignore Daniel entirely and go back to sleep. As if already knowing her thoughts, Daniel offered his hand to help pull her off the couch.

“You need to get cleaned up. Take a shower. Put on some fresh clothes. I-“ he paused and swallowed nervously, “I, I mean we have some stuff we need to talk about.”

“Stop being so weird. Give me like thirty minutes and then we can talk.” She climbed up the steps to her room, leaving him behind with an expression on his face she’d never seen before. She tried not to think about it. She avoided the first room she passed without so much as a passing glance. The door was open but the room was dark and unoccupied. Though she didn’t so much as look near the door frame, she felt a pang in her chest. She grit her teeth and went to the only other room on the hall. Her room represented a much younger version of herself. She’d lived here her whole life, and her room had grown and evolved with her, but it had been a while since she’d added any changes. Photo’s dating back to elementary school littered the walls. The wall paper had been the same for almost ten years. Books were scattered about and a few plants sat, dying on the window sill.

She bypassed the mess in her room and into her bathroom. She turned on the shower and as she waited for the water to warm, she leaned her forearms on the bathroom counter in front of the mirror. She gazed at herself. Her long blonde hair that was once perfectly curled was now a wavy knotted mess atop her head. Her makeup was smudged under eyes and her lipstick was smeared and faded. Her mini-dress was crumpled and smelled distinctly of tequila. She was disgusted with herself, but tried to ignore it. She turned her attention away from her haggard appearance and to the pill bottle on the sink. She took two of the pain killers before hopping into the shower.

Her shower was short. The longer she stood under the burning water the more likely she was to let her mind wander, and the last thing she wanted was to do was think about the past. By the time she came back down the stairs, she was wearing a fresh pair of jeans and an oversized t-shirt. Her hair was still wet and she hadn’t bothered with makeup, but it was still a definite improvement over raccoon eyes and rat nest hair. The painkillers had started working and her sore body and aching head started to numb. She looked around to see that the living room was moderately cleaner than she had left it. There was a large trash bag near the door and she assumed Daniel had tried to make the house more presentable, but she didn’t know why. She looked around in the living room but he wasn’t there, so she moved on through the kitchen and found him sitting in the dining room along with another man she hadn’t expected to see.

“Uncle Ronnie?” Her shock was written all over her face. The man was not actually her uncle, but he and her mother were so close they were practically siblings. Ronnie was her godfather, and her mother had entrusted Alex’s care to him and his wife, May, in case anything was to happen to her. Until now, Alex had assumed he was still in Italy. Ronnie and May had been living in Italy while Daniel attended university in Savannah. Georgia had always been Alex’s home, and Daniel grew up there as well. The last time she had seen Ronnie was at the funeral, and as far as she knew he had returned to Italy soon after.

“Alexandria, it’s good to see you,” he smiled and stood to greet her with a hug. She hugged him back loosely, still unsure of the purpose for his visit.

“I thought you were in Italy. What are you doing back here?” she asked, releasing him and studying his face.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Alexandria. We have some things we need to talk about.”

She nervously sat at the table with them, stealing a glance at Daniel only to see him looking at the floor.

“So, what is this about? It doesn’t seem like you’re making a social call.” Her nervous energy caused her leg to jitter under the table and she watched their faces carefully.

“It..” Ronnie paused and looked over at his son, “It has come to my attention that you are struggling with some unhealthy habits.” She frowned at him, preparing herself for a lecture.

“It’s been almost five months.” Four months and twenty-two days, she thought to herself.

“And no one can put a timeline of grief. I miss Kevin and Charlotte every day.” His eyes began to water, and his voice became momentarily thick with withheld tears.

“However, your recent behavior is no way to cope with this. You’re being reckless and risking your health. I can’t in good consciousness let you continue on this way. At first, I thought you were simply acting out, which is understandable considering… but I can’t let it go on any longer. This cannot be your lifestyle. I think Charlotte would haunt me if I let her daughter waster her life as a drug addicted party girl.” He looked at her, his eyes sad and pleading.

“I’m an adult, and I have been for a while. You don’t get to treat me like I’m ten and you’re babysitting me. And besides, I’m not addicted to anything, I can stop whenever I want. I’m just having a good time now and again. There’s nothing wrong with that,” she defended.

“When was the last time you went a full day without an illegal drug in your system?” Daniel had finally decided to speak, and he looked at her with concern. She wanted to hate him for it. She stared at him and refused to answer.

“Are you even sober now?” he asked. She thought back to the painkillers she had taken this morning. They weren’t exactly prescription. Well, not her prescription anyway. She stayed silent once again, knowing if she were to lie, Ronnie would call her out on it. She had never been a very good liar, and Ronnie had an uncanny ability to tell when she was even slightly stretching the truth.

“I thought that after I bailed you out the first time, you would get better. That you would understand that what you were doing wasn’t healthy, but you kept getting worse,” Daniel continued. A week after the funeral, Alex had been caught using a fake I.D. and had been drinking underage. Savannah’s police force was particularly strict about that kind of thing, and it took all of Daniel’s favors to keep her out of jail. He told her back then that she needed to stop acting out, or she would get herself into something he couldn’t get her out of. She felt guilt begin to weigh on her, but it was outweighed by her outrage.

“We’ve reached a breaking point, Alex. I’m not going to let you ruin your life,” Ronnie stared at her hard, and she stared right back.

“I’ve set up a new place for you. I think you need a fresh start. Somewhere for you to cope where the memories are less prominent. Somewhere that your recreational habits are less easy to pursue. I’ve got friends in Washington and some property up there, and I’d like for you to stay there for a while,” he said with finality.

“I’m not just going to pick up my life and move across the country! This is ridiculous. I’m twenty-one and you have no control over how or where I live my life!” She felt furious. She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to try to make her leave her home.

“Alex it’s either you go spend some time in Washington, or I admit you into rehab here. I’m giving you the option to get away and help yourself.”

“You can’t admit me without my consent. I’m not going,” I glared at him. He sighed and Daniel wouldn’t even look her in the eye.

“If you don’t go, then I’ll call and tell the police about the cocaine I found in your cereal box.” So that’s why they had cleaned. They didn’t want to tidy up for her, they were searching for evidence so they could give her an ultimatum. She glared at him from across the table, frustrated tears filling her eyes.

“You can’t do this to me,” she whispered angrily.

“We’re doing this for you,” he responded. He looked sympathetic and almost apologetic, but he continued on.

“We have a flight booked for you for tomorrow morning,” he paused, “Unless you’d like to try rehab...” She shook her head, refusing to look at him. He stood and Daniel quickly followed suit.

“We’ll leave you to pack up your things. Daniel can pick you up to make sure you get to the airport safely.” What he really meant was that Daniel would make sure she didn’t try to run away from their plan. Ronnie left the room and headed for the door. Daniel hesitated.

“Alex- “

“Don’t.” She stared up at him, angry tears spilling out of her eyes. He looked like a kicked puppy.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at 8,” he said quietly before following his father out the door. Once he was gone, Alex slumped farther into her seat and began to sob. She felt lost. She was being forced out of her home, and there was nothing she could do. She tried to understand that they thought they were doing what they perceived as the best for her, but she couldn’t help her anger at them for taking away her choice.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she heard the door open. Her tears had subsided, but her anger was still going strong. She stood from the table ready to unleash a rant upon Daniel who she was sure had come back for something, but the words died in her throat when she heard a familiar voice.

“Oh Xanny! It’s time to wake up!” her sing song voice bounced around the house. There was only one person who called her Xanny.

“Becca?” Alex called out to prevent her from wasting a trip up the stairs

“Oh! You’re awake! I’m surprised you’re up this early after last night.” Alex met her in the kitchen. Becca’s face changed from a happy smile immediately into concern.

“Jeez, Xanny! You look terrible! Have you been crying? What happened?” Alex didn’t know what to tell her. How do you tell your best friend that you have to move across the country because of a drug addiction? Especially when she’s your supplier.

“I have some news” she said slowly. Becca’s concerned face didn’t change.

“My godfather came back from Italy, and he knows about the drugs,” she explained and she watched Becca’s face fall.

“Oh no. What did he say?”

“He gave me an ultimatum. Either I go to rehab,” Becca made a face at the word, “or I move to Washington so his family can watch out for me.”

“What? That’s crazy! He can’t do that!”

“He can. He found my stash and he threaten to tell the cops.”

“Well fuck!” Becca ran a frustrated hand through her mess of curly red hair.

“When do you have to leave? Oh god, wait, you didn’t say you’d go to rehab did you?” Becca looked panicked.

“No, no!” Alex tried to soothe her. Becca had been to the rehabilitation center. Twice in fact. Both times were more traumatic than any of her worst acid trips.

“Daniel is picking me up tomorrow at 8, so I only have tonight.”

“What?” Becca cried, “That leaves no time for a going away party!” Alex cracked a smile. Becca always knows how to make her laugh, no matter what the circumstance.

“I’m surprised you’re not more upset that I’m leaving. I’m a little hurt,” she said mocking a pout.

“You know me, I’m only concerned about the party. Besides, we just need to think of this as you going away on vacation! You’ll be gone for a little while and you’ll be back just as quick! Who knows, maybe it’ll be good for you!” Becca was forever the optimist.

“You’re not sad that you’re gonna lose my business?” Becca shrugged at the question.

“I’ve got plenty of costumers. Although, I have no idea who I’m gonna get my Xanax from. You’ve always been my Xanny girl.” Becca frowned.

Alex had only known Becca for the four months after the funeral. When her parents died, Alex had a small breakdown and the family doctor gave her a Xanax prescription. He said it would help her through the “tough times.” It was the most condescending doctor’s appointment Alex had every been too. Alex only took one of the pills before deciding they weren’t for her. With no use for the prescription, she found someone willing to trade a drug for a drug. Becca not only filled that need, but filled her need for a friend. Becca was the first person who didn’t immediately look at her with pity. All of her old friends couldn’t even carry a conversation with her. Most of them were still in college, and didn’t know how to talk to Alex about what happened. Alex graduated a year and a half early with a degree in mythology. She had done a good job keeping in touch with them though she no longer lived on campus, but after her parent’s death she couldn’t keep it up. Becca was the first person to make her feel normal. The nickname came after their first meeting. Xanny- a mix between Alexandria and Xanax, and it marked the beginning of their friendship.

“Oh, so now I’m only good for the Xanax?” Becca gave her a playful shove.

“You know that’s not true!” Becca flashed a smile at her.

“How would you feel about a packing party rather than a going away party?” Alex asked with a hopeful grin. Becca pouted.

“That sounds way less fun. But I suppose if it’s for you, I can oblige.”

They spent the next few hours packing up Alex’s essentials, with Becca occasionally trying to sneak in some of Alex’s raunchier clothing into the mix. All in all, it took about four hours to pack up her life into one large suitcase. It would have been less, but Becca’s knack for becoming easily distracted was infectious. They also spent some time arguing over whether or not party clothes or books should be included. Alex finally won, stating that she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be allowed to go to any parties on her sober trip. It was dark by the time they finished and the girls decided to watch a movie together. It would be their last girl’s night for a while.

They sat on the couch together, and Alex opened a bottle of wine and a bag of chips for them to share. Becca drank juice in a wine glass. Despite her party girl attitude and her occupation, Becca no longer partook in drugs and rarely drank. The only thing she took now was the Xanax Alex supplied, and it was her own anxieties more than any high. Becca had been asking about where in Washington Alex was being shipped to, and Alex was at a bit of a loss. She had never been, but she could recall Daniel talking about the tiny town and reservation there when they were younger. As Alex downed her third glass of wine, Becca gave her a more somber look that was reserved for when she wanted to talk about something serious.

“Hey, Xanny? I wanna say something without you getting all defensive, ok?” she asked quietly. Alex gave her a confused look.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“I think, maybe, you should really try to get the most out of this trip. I know you don’t wanna go, but I think it might do you some good to get out of here for a bit. I love you, and you know I support you and your ability to make choices for yourself, but I get worried about you sometimes. I really think you should use the time away to try and get clean,” she glanced up at Alex trying to gauge her reaction. Alex sighed and put a smile on her face.

“Well damn. And here I thought you’d mail me something good to get me through my time away,” she responded jokingly, but Becca didn’t break into a smile.

“I’m serious, Xanny. You should really think about it. You’re not just another one of my customers, and I don’t want you goin’ down the same road as them. The occasional coke line at a party is one thing, but you’re getting in deeper than I think you want to. I’ve been there, and it’s not a place you want to be.”

“Oh god, a lecture from you too, Becca?”

“It’s not a lecture. I’m just letting you know what you’re gettin’ yourself into,” Becca said with a shrug before turning off her serious attitude.

Once the movie finished, the girls were almost asleep, resting on each other on the couch.

“Hey Becca?” Alex said, voice barely above a whisper.

“Hmm?” Becca grunted, barely awake.

“I’m gonna try.” She could feel Becca smile against her arm, and she promptly went to sleep.

Alex awoke to Becca’s alarm going off. Bleary eyed she checked her phone to see that it was only six a.m. She shook Becca awake.

“Sorry,” Becca yawned, “One of my teacher clients is picking something up before school today and I’ve gotta go meet her.”

“It’s okay,” she yawned back. As Becca stood to leave, she bent down to give Alex a hug.

“Not a goodbye, just a see you later,” Becca gave her a wink and her signature smile before disappearing out the door. Alex had explicit instructions from her to text every day and to call when she could, so there wasn’t much else to say. As much as Alex wanted to go back to bed, she had less than two hours before Daniel arrived to take her away. She detached herself from the warm couch and began her climb to the shower.

She passed the dark doorway and did her best not to wince at the painful memories it brought. Her shower was longer than normal. She stood under the water until it ran cold, and as she stepped out, the shivers reminded her that she felt numb. She dressed as she would for winter in Georgia, before deciding that jeans and long-sleeved shirt wouldn’t work for Washington’s weather. She snagged one of her only heavy coats and threw it on top of her suitcase. She wondered back over to the bathroom and threw her hair up into a messy ponytail and in a last-ditch effort to look slightly presentable she put on some light makeup. No amount of concealer in the world could help her look less tired and before long she gave up on it. On a whim, she grabbed a long silver chain necklace and put it over her head. It had a charm at one point but she couldn’t remember what it was, and she didn’t feel concerned about the simplicity of it. She checked her phone and the clock informed her that she only had about ten minutes before Daniel arrived. She dragged her suitcase down the hall, but paused in front of the empty bedroom. For the first time in four months, she let herself linger by the doorway. She felt tears prick at her eyes. She could just barely see the edge of the bed in the dark. She could practically see her father sitting there, joking about how his old age had made it impossible to simply bend down and put on his socks. Her mom would smack him on the shoulder and tell him that he should have done yoga with her that morning. The memory faded and Alex once again felt entirely alone. She shook her head and wiped her tears. She picked up her suitcase and made it halfway down the stairs before hearing a knock at the door.

Alex met him at the door this time. She opened it and there he stood, still looking slightly guilty. But in his hands, were two coffee cups. He stretched one out to her. A peace offering. She stared at him for a moment before taking it from him. Assuming this was type of acceptance, he found the nerve to speak.

“Are you, um, are you ready?” he asked. She nodded, and he took her suitcase for her. He headed to the truck and she took one last look inside the house before pulling the door shut. She tugged her house key out of her pocket and locked the door for the first time in a while. She held on to the key like it was a lifeline in her pocket. Her reminder that she would be back soon to open that door again, pretending that leaving wasn’t causing her panic.

“Alex?” Daniel called, standing by the truck. Her suitcase was already loaded and he was waiting on her. She pulled herself from the porch and got in the truck. The first fifteen minutes were filled with awkward silence and Alex desperately wished he would turn on the radio. She quietly sipped her coffee which Daniel had made perfectly to her tastes and tried not to think about the miles she was traveling away from her comfort zone. Seemingly out of the blue Daniel began to speak. He began saying something she was sure had been in his head since yesterday.

“Alex, when I called him, I didn’t know that he was going to do. I can’t even believe he came all the way from Italy. I never thought he’d send you away. I thought he’d just talk to you about getting help. And I know you’re so mad at me, but I just want you to be okay, and-“ he would have continued on for hours had she not interrupted him.

“I get it.”

“I- what?” he looked at her for so long she was momentarily afraid they’d crash.

“I’m upset, and mad that my choices got taken away. I’m mad that I can’t take care of myself well enough without people intervening in my life. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand the reason. I’m never going to be happy about this, and I’m not convinced it’s going to help me, but I know that you and Ronnie are just doing your best. We’re all doing our best,” she ended quietly. She looked out the window, and she could feel his eyes on her again. He wasn’t sure what to say about that and he shifted uncomfortably, until she spoke again.

“Tell me about Washington. I don’t even know where I’m going, and you’ve been there before.” If his sigh of relief told her anything, it was that he was glad things were getting back to normal.

He told her all about Forks and La Push. He mentioned the beautiful hiking trails she would like, and for the first time Alex found herself actually feeling the smallest bit of excitement. It felt like it had been ages since Alex went on a run through the woods. She was doing her best to use Becca’s philosophy about this being a vacation. As he talked about the small town and his family there, Alex listened absentmindedly. She pulled out her key and looped it through the chain on her necklace. It assured her that she wouldn’t lose it, and it brought her some comfort to have it that much closer to her heart. For the remainder of the ride, Daniel talked animatedly about the town. He told her who would be picking her up from the airport, and how nice they are. He sounded almost jealous that she would be seeing them and he was going to be staying behind. By the time they reached the airport, Alex was convinced that the only interesting thing in Forks would be the hiking opportunity. It didn’t seem like the town had anything special about it other than its ridiculously small population, and Alex felt her excitement waning.

Daniel pulled out her suitcase out of the truck and handed it to her, before wrapping her in a tight embrace. Sometimes Alex forgot just how big Daniel was. He rested his chin on the top of her head and his hug seemed to swallow her whole. When he released her and took a step back, it seemed like he needed to say something. Alex paused and waited for him to speak. He would barely look at her.

“Alex,” he said finally meeting her gaze, “I- just… Have a good flight, ok?”

She looked at him confused. She knew he hadn’t said everything, but let it go anyway.

“Ok,” she responded before grabbing her things and leaving him. Each step felt heavier than the last until she felt like she was only shuffling along. She barely remembered getting through security or finding her seat on the plane. She was asleep before the plane even took off. When she awoke next, a flight attendant was telling her that they had about ten minutes before landing. The six hour flight felt like nothing to her, and when they finally landed, she turned her phone back on. The phone clock adjusted almost immediately and read that it was only 2 in the afternoon Washington time. The three hour time difference would certainly take some adjusting.

After exiting the plane and getting her suitcase from baggage claim she went to meet the people Daniel had told her about. After searching around for a bit, she finally saw her name written neatly on a white board. She looked from the board to the man holding it and when she met his eye, her breath caught in her throat. She had to take a large breath before she began to walk to him, knowing distantly in her head that this could change her life.

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me your thoughts!


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